Crimper for cartridge-shells



(No Model.)

G.v D. HUNTER. GRIMPBR FOROARTRIDGE SHELLS.

Patented Mar. 31, 1.

MVZZ'TWSI UNITED STATES PATENT. FFICE.

GEORGE D. HUNTER, OF AUBURN PARK, ILLINOIS.

CRIMPER FOR CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,537, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed October 3, 1890.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crimpers for Cartridge- Shells; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to devices for closing or crimping the outer or front ends of the paper or pasteboard cartridge-shells used in breech-loading shotguns, and particularly to improvements in this class of devices which render them more durable than usual and effective in operation or capable of smoothly and perfectly closing the ends of said cartridge-shells after the powder, shot, and wads have been placed in their respective positions therein; and it consists in the peculiarities of construction and arrangement or combination of parts and features hereinafter fully disclosedin the description, drawings, and claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a crimper for cartridge-shells which will be more durable or last longer than those usually employed, which will avoid the great amount of friction usually pertaining to crimpers manufactured wholly of brass or other metal, which will lessen the usual tendency to tear or roughen the ends of the paper shells of cartridges while they are being inturned or crimped, which will be capable of employment in fixed or portable machines for loading and crimping cartridge-shells, in separate crimping-machines, in separate machines for cutting and crimping cartridge-shells which may have been filled by hand, or in a machine, for instance, of the character of that disclosed in the Letters Patent granted to me May 29, 1888, No. 383,529, and which will be simple in construction and cheap to manufacture. This object is accomplished by the improved construction and arrangement or combination of the parts and features of this invention, which is embodied in slightly different forms or constructions, as shown in the accompanying drawings, constituting part of this specification, in which the same refer- Serial No. 366.989- (IIo model.)

once-numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and in which Figure 1 represents a section of one of my improved crimpers for cartridge-shells and of the glass crimping-disk removed therefrom; Fig. 2, front views of complete crimpers, showing the glass crimping-disks held in place in the chambers of the holders by and without the inturned flange on the front end of the latter; Fig. 3, rear views of the glass crimping-disk and the wheel for revolving the crimper shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4E, partly-sectional and front views of a modified form or construction of myimproved crimper; Fig. 5, sectional and front views of another slightlymodified construction of the same, and Fig. 6 sectional and front views of another slightlymodified form of construction of the same.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates my improved crimper, which, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is composed of the holder 2, having the recess or chamber 3 formed in its front end or face and the pinion 4 on its rear end, centrally of which is formed the axial recess 5' for receiving a short shaft or belt for supporting said crimper while it is being rev0lvedas, for instance, by the means disclosed in my above-mentioned patent. In the recess or chamber 3 of the holder 2 is fitted the glass crimping-disk 6, which has a body portion 7 of a shape corresponding to the interior of said chamber and is seated or embedded therein in a layer of plaster-of-paris, white lead, or other suitable cement S. or in the rear surface of this glass crimpingdisk are formed the small ribs or grooves 9, which are pressed into the cement for preventing said disk from turning and for holding the same firmly in place in all directions. However, the attainment of these results may be assisted by the inturned flange 10 at the front end of the holder 2, which will prevent all possibility of outward or forward movement of said disk. The front or operative surface of this glass crimping-disk is formed with the raised center 11, the rim 12, the intermediate annular groove 13, and the bosses or slightly-raised projections 11 near the bottom of said groove.

A cartridge-shell while being closed or crimped is required to be firmly supported at its rear end and prevented from turning.

A device for accomplishing this result may be the same as the chuck-cups or shell-rests used in connection with the ordinary cartridgecrimpers, or it may be the same as the adjustable chuckwheel disclosed in my abovenamed patent, which is capable of receiving and firmly holding the rear ends of cartridges of various sizes.

In the modified forms or constructions of my improved crimper shown in Figs. 4c and 5 of the drawings the glass crimping-disks 6 are substantially the same as the one already described. The holders 2, however, are different from the one above described, that shown in Fig. Abeing made in the form of a cap or collar, which is int-eriorly screw-threaded and enlarged along its rear portion, which is contracted along its front portion for forming the recess or chamber 3 for the glass crimping-disk (3, and into which at its rear portion is inserted the exteriorly-screw-threaded and enlarged shaft-head 15, which fits removably therein and is formed with a fiat front face opposite the fiat rear face of said glass disk. Intermediate of the flat rear face of this disk and the flat front face of this shaft-head may be placed the annular soft-rubber plate 16, which will form a yielding seat for said I glass disk and preventits breakage from jar or frictional contact with cartridge-shells while they are being crimped also,this disk is placed in the recess or chamber 3 of the holder 2 by being passed forwardly through the opening in the enlarged rear portion thereof, after which it is firmly held in place by its rim 12 resting against the inturned flange 10 011 the front end of said holder, and by the rubber plate 16, when used, and the enlarged shafthead 15 pressing against its rear face. The annular channel 17 is formedin theinner surface of the holder 2 for the purpose of facilirating the formation of its internal screwthread. The holder 2 for the glass crimpingdisk 6 (shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings) is of substantially the same construction as the holder shown in Fig. 1, the only differences being that it has no inturned flange on its front end, but may have, and that it has no pinion for effecting its revolution, but instead is formed with the interiorly-screw-threaded neck 18, into which is fitted an exteriorlyscrew-threaded shaft-head like that shown in Fig. 4.

In the additional slightly-modified form or construction of my improved crimper shown in Fig. 0 of the drawings the only change resides in the fact that the holder 2 is formed integrally with the shaft-head 15.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the gist of myinvention resides in the incasement ofa glass crimping-disk of the construction described in a suitable metallic holder, which can be accomplishedin many different ways that the employment of this glass crimping-disk will obviate all the frictional disadvantages that are incident to the use of brass and other wholly metallic crimpers, in which the bosses or slightly-raised projections wear out in a very short time and roughen the paper from which the shells are made; that this glass disk will make smoothercrimps 1n shells than when wholly metallic crimpers are employed; that the seating or embedding of said glass disk in cement holdsit firmly n place, insures it against breakage, affords it a true or level seat in its recess or chamber 1n the holder, and permits the outside of the latter to be turned true after said disk has been placed in operative position, Whereas when the entire crimper is made of metalitisgenerally cast and then swaged to the desired size, which cannot be done with certainty or accuracy owing to the roughness and shrinkage of the metal, and that a crimper provided with this glass crimping-disk will turn over or crimp the dry paper shells of cartridges without any twisting strain thereon whatever and will operate with less friction than metallic crimpers, and consequently requireless power for its operation.

Having thus fully described the construction and arrangement or combination of the parts and features of my invention, its advantages and operation, what Ielaim as new 1s- 1. A crimper for cartridge-shells, provided with a glass crimping-disk substantially as described.

2. A crimper for cartridge sliells, provided with a holder having a recess or chamber in its front end or face and a glass crimpingdisk secured in said chamber, substantially as described.

3. A crimper for cartridge-shells, provided with a holder having a recess or chamber in its front end or face, alayer of cement therein, and a glass crimping-disk seated or embedded in said cement, substantially as described.

at. A crimper for cartridge-shells, provided with a holder having a recess or chamber in its front end or face, alayer of cement therein, and a glass crimping-disk seated or embedded in said cement and formed with a series of small ribs or grooves on or inits rear surface, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A crimper for cartridge-shells, provided with a holder having a recess or chamber in its front end or face, an inturned flange at its front end, and a glass crimping-disk within said chamber, substantially as described.

6. A crimper for cartridge-shells, provided with a holder having a recess or chamber in its front en d or face, a layer of cement therein, and a glass crimping-disk seated or embedded in said cement and formed with a series of small ribs or grooves on or in its rear surface and an inturned flange at its front end, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. A crimper for cartridgeshells, provided with a holder having a recess or chamber in its front end or face, an inturned flange at its front end, a glass crimping-disk within said chamber, an interiorlyscrewthreaded rear portion,and an exteriorly-screW-threaded and removable shaft-head, substantially as described.

8. A crimper for cartridge-shells, provided with a holder having a recess or chamber in its front end or face, an inturned flange at its front end, a glass crimping-disk within said chamber, an interiorly-screw-tl1readed rear portion, an exteriorly-screW-threaded shafthead, and a rubber plate arranged intermediate of the rear face of said glass disk and the front face of said shaft-head, substantially as described.

0. A criinper for cartridgeshells, provided with a holder having a recess or chamber in its front end or face, an inturned flange atits channel formed in the inner surface of said holder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE D. HUNTER. Witnesses:

CHARLES L. J OY, GEo. N. BRADLEY. 

